Container and carrier assembling machine

ABSTRACT

Improvements in container and carrier assembling machines wherein the carriers are a series of flat plastic carriers with longitudinally extending transversely arranged pairs of apertures. The machine is a rotary machine which takes the carriers in succession, folds the longitudinally central and side edges, stretches the apertures over the containers delivered to the machine, and releases the carriers to embracingly engage the containers.

United States Patent 1 Schlueter et al.

[4 1 Dec. 4, 1973 l CONTAINER AND CARRIER ASSEMBLING MACHINE [75]Inventors: David F. S chlueter; John Edward Morgan, both of Hoopeston,Ill.

[73] Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc., Chicago,

Ill.

22 Filed: Sept. 18,1972 21 Appl.No.: 289,908

[52] US. Cl. 53/48 [51] Int. Cl B65b 21/24 [58] Field of Search 53/48[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3 3,204,386 9/1965 Creed etal. 53/48 Primary Examiner-Travis S. McGehee AztorneyRobert W. Beart etal.

[5 7] ABSTRACT Improvements in container and carrier assembling machineswherein the carriers are a series of flat plastic carriers withlongitudinally extending transversely arranged pairs of apertures. Themachine is a rotary machine which takes the carriers in successiomfoldsthe longitudinally central and side edges, stretches the apertures overthe containers delivered to the machine, and releases the carriers toembracingly engage the containers.

3 Claims, 9 Drawing; Figures Stevenson 53/48 PATENTEB DEC 4 I975 SHEET 1OF 4 QM EM EN EN Em QQOOOOO OWVMO O O O O O O O O O PAIENTEDBEE 41mSHEET 3 [IF 4 CONTAINER AND CARRIER ASSEMBLING MACHINE BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION The improvements Comprising the subject invention are on knowncontainer and carrier assembling machines of the type shown in US. Pat.Nos. 3,032,943 and 3,032,944. Those machines, while relatively efficientfor carrier applicating speed of up to about 1200 containers or cans perminute have been found to have a number of disadvantages when attemptshave been made to run those machines at applicating speeds substantiallyabove 1200 cans per minute. The improve ments of the subject inventionallow machines incorporating the invention to run at speeds of up to1800 cans per minute. Those higher speeds represent an important andsubstantial improvement in the operation of such machines. Anunexpectedresult of the improvements of the subject invention is thatservice and maintenance of such machines is greatly simplified.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Prior carrier applicating machines according tothe noted patents have had systems for delivering the succession ofcarriers to the rotary applicating station, however, at higher speedsthe carriers were malformed by the applicating jaws or shoe assemblies.In the present invention a unitary guide system is provided which foldsthe carriers before any contact therewith is made by the rotatingapplicating jaws. Thus when, at high speeds, the carriers are picked upby the applicating jaws, the carrier is properly oriented andsubstantially no malformation of the carriers by the applicating jawsoccurs.

Because the guide system is a unitary assembly carried on a pair ofrods, adjustment, removal and maintenance of the guide system is greatlysimplified.

Further, in the present invention, the rotary applicating means isconstructed as an axially spaced apart pair of spider assemblies firmlysecured to a rotating shaft. Individual jaw or shoe assemblies areformed as simple units of a mounting plate carrying a plurality of camoperated reciprocating rods which are secured to carrier stretching andapplying shoes, and simple fixed tuckers which help to apply thecarriers to the cans. The individual shoe assemblies are boltedto thespiders by a pair of fasteners. Because of that construction andarrangement, reductions to practice of the invention have establishedthat higher applicating speeds are now possible than with machines ofprior known constructions.

Because the individual shoe assemblies are removed from the spiders bymerely unthreading a pair of fasteners, maintenance of the machine isgreatly simplified over that necessary for prior ltnown machines.

The primary object of the present invention is to improve container andcarrier assembling machines such as exemplified by the above notedpatents to permit operation at substantially higher applicating speedsthan heretofore practically possible for such machines.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent upon aperusal of the hereinafter following specification and the drawings.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of amachine embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary end-elevational view of the rotary applicatingstation;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of one of the individual shoeassemblies; FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the assembly of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 4 taken alongthe line 6-6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the unitary guide system;

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of the guide system shown in FIG. 7taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 7; and,

FIG. 9 is an end elevational view of the guide system shown in FIG. '7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT .A complete machine forassembling containers and carriers of the type for which the presentinvention is I intended need not be described herein. For adetaileddescription of such a machine reference is made to theaforementioned US. Pat. No. 3,032,943, issued May 8, 1972, to J. L.Reimers et a].

FIGS. I and 2 show the general organization of such a machine.Containers 10 are generally supplied to the machine from a containerfilling station ahead of the machine. In the present embodiment thecontainers 10 are cylindrical cans. The container and carrier assemblymachine is shown generally at 11. The carrier stock 12 is fed to theapplicating machine 11 over the top thereof. The applicating machine 11essentially comprises rotor means shown generally at 13 which receivesthe succession of carriers 12 and applies those carriers to the tops ofthe cans at what may be called the assembly station beneath the rotormeans I3.

In the present embodiment the carrier stock I2 is intended to be aflexible plastic sheet material which has been formed such as shown inFIGS. 2 and 3 by cutting or punching to comprise longitudinallyextending trans verse pairs of container encircling bands. The innerperipheral extent of each of the bands is less than the circumferentialdimension of the cans I0 so that the con tainer encircling bands must besubstantially stretched for application to the cans 1.0.Because of thestretching of the bands in application to the cans 10, the carrier bandsusually assume a somewhat cylindrical or frustoconical shape in theassembled container and carrier package. Such container and carrierpackages may be seen by way of example in FIGS. 22 and 23 of US. Pat.No. 2,874,835. If the described carrier configuration on the cans is tobe properly achieved, especially at high rates of speed the applicatingmachine must properly fold or shape the carrier and the containerencircling bands of the carrier prior to and during application of thecarrier to the cans. Prior applicating machines have not been able tosuccessfully apply such carriers to cans at speeds at 1800 cans perminute because the guide system for the carrier stock to the rotor meanscould not properly fold and direct the carrier to the rotary means atsuch speeds. Further, the shoe assemblies in the rotor means forreceiving, stretching and applying the carrier to the cans have beenexcessively complicated for efficient high speed application of thecarrier stock to the cans.

The carrier stock 12 is normally supplied on a reel 14. The reel 14 isrotatably supported on a reel stand 15. The reel stand shown in thedrawings is merely representative of one type of stand which may be usedwith the present invention. As the carrier stock 12 is drawn from thereel 14 it is conventionally directed through some form of tensioningsystem to provide for a uniform feeding of the carrier to the rotormeans. Such a tensioning system is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in a somewhatrepresentative form to comprise roller 16 supported from the stand 15,and drum l7 and rollers 18 and 19 supported from the applicatingmachine.

Because the carrier 12 comprises transverse pairs of container receivingapertures, two lanes of cans 10 are directed to the applicating machine11. A suitable conveyor system is provided for carrying the cans 10 toand through the applicating machine 11 in timed relation to feeding ofthe carrier 12. After the carrier stock 12 is applied to the cans 10 thecarrier stock 12 is transversely severed between selected adjacentcontainer gripping bands into the assembled package of an individualcarrier and a number of containers by any suitable known severing means.As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the packages comprise the well known 6-pack.

The subject invention is directed to two improvements in the applicatingmachine 131. One of these improvements which is shown in detail in FIGS.3, 7, 8 and 9 is the construction and arrangement of a unique guidesystem for guiding the carrier stock at high speeds into the shoes orjaws of the rotor means 13. The other improvement is concerned with theconstruction of the rotor means 13 for high speed operation andprimarily involves a simple and efficient unitary shoe assemblyconstruction for each of the shoe assemblies which are arrangedcircumferentially about the rotor means 13. The simplicity of theunitary shoe assemblies produces a uniquely efficient arrangement forhigh speed application of the carrier stock to the cans. The improvementof the unitary shoe assemblies is shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6.

FIG. 3, which is a fragmentary end view of the rotor means 13, is viewedalong line such as line 3-3 in FIG. 1. The rotor means 113 is supportedin a fixed frame structure, fragmentary portions of which are shown at30 in FIG. 3. A driven shaft 31 is rotatively carried in the framestructure 30. A pair of circular members called spiders 32 are securedon the shaft 311 in a spaced apart relationship to each other. The outerperiphery of each spider 32 is provided with tapped holes 33 forreceiving a shoe station 34 such as shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6. Only twoshoe stations or assemblies 34 are shown in FIG. 3, one at the top ofthe rotor means and one at the bottom. As shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6,each shoe assembly 34 comprises a substantially rectangular mountingplate 35, four shoes 36, four operating rods 37, tucker assembly 38, andtwo cam follower assemblies 39.

The mounting plate 35 is provided with two holes therethrough adjacentthe opposite ends for the fasteners 40. Each shoe assembly 34 is securedto the spiders 32 by threading the fasteners 40 into the threaded holes33. A support member 41 is secured at each end of the mounting plate 35by fasteners 42. Each member 41 has four parallel spaced apart holestherethrough for guiding and supporting the rods 37. The four rods 37are slidably carried through both members 41 and at each end thereofextend into the cam follower assemblies 39. Two of the rods 37 aresecured into one of the cam follower assemblies 39 by fasteners 43 whilethe other two rods 37 are merely slidably retained in that cam followerassembly 39. Those other two rods 37 are secured in the other camfollower assembly 39 by fasteners 44 while the first two rods 37 aremerely slidably retained in that other cam follower assembly 39. Thefour rods 37 also extend through each of the shoes 36. Each of the shoes36 is fixed to two of the rods 37 so that as the cam follower assemblies39 are moved toward and away from each other, cooperating pairs of theshoes 36 will be moved toward and away from each other. The fixing ofthe shoes 36 to the rods 37 is accomplished, as may be seen in FIG. 5,by securing one shoe 36 of one cooperating pair by pins 45 to the tworods 37 secured to cam follower 39 by fasteners 43 and, one shoe 36 ofthe other cooperating pair to those same rods 37 by pins 46. The othershoe 36 of each cooperating pair of shoes 36 is secured to the rods 37which are secured to the cam follower 39 by fasteners 44. The shoe 36which cooperates with the shoe 36 fixed by pins 45 is fixed to the notedrods 37 by pins 47, and the shoe 36 which cooperates with the shoe 36pinned to the rods 37 by pins 46 is fixed to the noted rods 37 by pins48. Thus, it may be seen that when the cam followers 39 are moved towardeach other, the cooperating pairs of jaws 36 are moved apart and whenthe cam followers 39 are moved apart the cooperating pairs of shoes 36are moved toward each other. The noted movement of the cam followers 39is accomplished by having the cam followers 39 cooperate with a pair ofannular cam assemblies 50 which are shown in FIG. 3. The cam assemblies50 are secured to the frame structure 30 axially outwardly of each endof the spiders 32. Each cam assembly 50 is annular in shape and theouter circumferential surface thereof is provided with a cam track 51.Each cam follower 39 is provided with a roller 52 which is mountedwithin one of the cam tracks 51. Thus it may be seen that as the spiders32 are rotated by the shaft 31 the cooperating pairs of shoes 36 of eachshoe assembly 34 carried on the spiders 32 will be moved toward and awayfrom each other in a jaw opening and closing operation determined by thecam tracks 51. Obviously, the shoes 36 are closed at the upper side ofthe rotor means 13 when the shoes 36 are receiving the carriers 12, andare completely open when at the bottom of the rotor means T3 forapplication to the cans it).

The tucker assembly 38 on each shoe assembly 34 is provided fordirecting the carrier 32 into proper can applicating configuration andfor pushing the carrier on the cans 112 during application by the shoes36. Each tucker assembly 38 is secured to the mounting plate 35 of ashoe assembly 34 by a plurality of fasteners 55 as may be seen in FIGS.4 and 6. Each tucker assembly 38 includes a pair of tucker fingers 56which extends outwardly from the mounting plate 35 in the same directionas the shoes 36 and on an axis parallel to the axis of reciprocation ofthe shoes 36. Each tucker assembly 38 further includes a plate member 57which extends in the same direction that the shoes 36 generally extendand is aligned perpendicular to the axis of reciprocation of the shoes36 mid-way between the cooperating pairs of shoes 36. The plate member57 cooperates with the guide assembly 60 to be described hereinafter toproperly form or fold the longitudinal central portion of the carrierstock 12 for high speed application.

In reductions to practice of the invention, the above describedconstruction of each of the shoe assemblies 34 has been found to provideand permit high speed application of carrier stock to cans and it hasfurther been found that repair and maintenance of such shoe assemblies34 is greatly simplified over any such previous constructions known inthe art. To remove a shoe assembly 36 from the rotor means 13, it ismerely necessary to unthread the fasteners 46 as the shoe assembly 34 isdrawn from the rotor means 13.

The improvement of the guide system 60 is shown in cooperation with therotor means 113 in FIG. 3 and in further detail in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9. Oneof the important features of the improved guide system over thosepreviously known is that the outer longitudinal edges of the containerencircling bands of the carrier 12 are folded upwardly before anycontact of the carrier 12 is made by the shoes 36. This feature enablesthe applicating machine to be operated at high speed with a minimumpossibility that the container encircling bands of the carrier will bemalformed by the shoes 36. A further advantage of the improved guidesystem is that it is formed as a unitary sub-assembly of the machine andconsequently is easily removed for maintenance and particularly,adjustment. The guide system 66 can be completely preset before beingset in the machine, is less subject to being deformed by a material jamthan previous guide systemsand allows for the placement and removal ofcomplete sets of rails without disturbing any settings.

In order that the carrier 12 be properly received on the shoes 36, theouter longitudinal sides of the container encircling bands of thecarrier must be formed or bent upwardly, and the inner or longitudinallycentral line between the container encircling bands must be formedupwardly from the longitudinal central center line while the bandportions adjacent thereto are formed downwardly. With the carrier 12 inthat configuration, the shoes 36 may enter the apertures of the carrierT2 at the top of the rotor means 13 and the shoes 36 can open, as therotor means is rotated,

against relatively planar surfaces. of the formed carrier to provide forthe thereafter following proper applicating alignment of the carrier onthe cans l0.

Arrows 611 in lFlGfl', 62 in H6. 6, and63 in FIG. 9 indicate thedirection in which the carrier stock 12 moves in and through the'guidesystem 60. initially the carrier 12 passes between a pair of plates 64and 65 as shown in MG. 3. The plates 64 and 65 have been removed in theshowings of FIGS. 7, 6 and 9. The plates 64 and 65. and the formingrails 66, 67 and 68 are secured to and carried by a pair of rods 70 as acomplete assembly. The rods 70 are supported in sleeves 71. To supportthe sleeves 71 in the machine, four bosses '72 are provided on thesupporting frame 30 of the machine as shown in FIG. 3. The sleeves 71are slidable on the rods 76 and are securable thereto by fasteners 73.Thus it may be seen to remove the guide assembly 60 from the machine itis merelynecessary to loosen the fasteners 73 and slide the sleeves 71on the rods 74) away from the ends of'the rods 70 free of the bosses 72.

Two supporting plates 74 are secured on the rods 70 in a parallel spacedapart relationship toeach other. Four channel members '76, '76, 77 and78 are secured between the supporting plates 76. The guide rails 66, 67and 66 are supported from the channel members 75, 76, 77 and 76 bystandards 80, 81, 82 and 83. A standard 80 is secured to each of therails 68 and terminates at the upper end thereof in a fastener 85carried in a slot in the channel member 75. A standard 611 is secured toeach of the guide rails 67 and the upper end of each standard 81terminates in a fastener 86 in slots in the channel member 76. Astandard 82 is secured to each of the guide rails 66, 67 and 68 andterminates at the upper end thereof in a fastener 87 in a slot in thechannel member 77. A standard 63 is secured adjacant the rearward end ofeachof the rails 66, 67 and 68 and terminates at the upper end thereofin a fastener 88 in a slot in the channel member 78. The fasteners 65,86, 87 and 86 permit the rails 66, 67 and 66 to be adjusted relative tothe spacing therebetween for proper guiding of the carrier 12..

The outer forming rails for the carrier 12 are the rails 66. The initialportion of each of "the rails 66 is formed as two flat sections with aspace 89 therebetween as may be seen in MG. 6. The two sections arerotated through an angle of 90- substantially in the area of therearward rod and the upper section of each of the rails 66 terminates atthat point. The outer longitudinal edges of the carrier 12 pass throughthe spaces 69 of I the forming rails 66 and are folded generallyupwardly at the end of the upper section of the rails 66. From the pointat which the outer longitudinal edges of the carrier T2 are foldedgenerally upwardly to the point at which the shoes 36 enter the carrierapertures, the outer longitudinal edges of the carrier are maintained inthe generally upwardly folded condition by the now vertical portions ofthe rails 66, and a downwardly holding action provided by the rails 67.i

The rails 67 are generally aligned on the longitudinal center lines ofthe apertures of the carrier stock 112, and the carrier stock 12 passestherebelow. Thus it may be seen that the rails 67 hold those portions ofthe carrier stock 12 down.

The center pair of rails, rails 68 also he over the carrier stock 12 asit passes through the guide system 66. The guide rails 66 may be calledthe center forming rails and cooperate with the previously describedplates 57 of the tuclter assembly 36 of the shoe assemblies 36 to formthe longitudinal central portion of the carrier stock 12 in a generallydownwardly directed V-shaped cross section.

As the carrier stock 12 approaches the end of the guide system 16 theshoes 36 enter the apertures and during the further rotation of therotor means 113, the pair of shoes 36 in each aperture are moved apartto engage the generally vertically directed inner and outerlongitudinally extending portions of the container encircling bands ofthe carrier stock l2. As the rotor means 13 continues to rotate thestretched and folded carrier stock is applied over the upper chimes ofthe cans T6 to assemble the carrier stock 12 on the cans it). From theforegoing it may be seen that when the carrier stock 12 is applied tothe cans ill, the inner peripheral edge of the container encirclingbands is above the outer peripheral edges so that the containerencircling bands in the stretched condition on the cans ill assumes asubstantially frusto-conical configuration about the cans ill).

Because of the above described construction and arrangement of the guidesystem 60' relative to shoe assemblies 36, high speed operation of themachine is possible with proper application of the carrier stoclt 112 tothe cans ll). The unitary arrangement of the guide rails in the guideassembly 60 permits easy and exact adjustment of the guide rails forefficient, rapid operation of the machine.

Having described the invention, it is to be understood that changes canbe made in the present embodiment by one skilled in the art within thescope of the hereinafter following claims.

I claim:

1. A machine for assembling containers into packages held together bygenerally flat, somewhat elastic carriers having a longitudinal seriesof transverse pairs of container encircling bands, said machineincluding means for directing a procession of containers to a carrierand container assembly station, there being rotor means proximate tosaid assembly station and a guide system for receiving, folding anddirecting a succession of carriers to said rotor means at a locationcircumferentially spaced from said assembly station, said rotor meansincluding a plurality of shoe assemblies on the periphery thereof forreceiving successive carriers from said guide system and stretching andapplying the carriers into embracing relations to containers in saidassembly station, the improvement of said guide system comprising aunitary assembly of guide rails formed to fold the longitudinallycentral and outer sides of said succession of carriers before receptionof said carriers on said shoe assemblies, and each of said shoeassemblies comprising a unitary assembly solely secured on the peripheryof said rotor means by a pair of spaced apart fasteners and cooperatingwith said guide system to receive said carriers in said foldedcondition.

2. In a machine as defined in claim 1, said unitary assembly of guiderails being mounted on a pair of rods, and means securing the ends ofsaid rods in fixed position in said machine at said locationcircumferentially spaced from said assembly station.

3. In a machine as defined in claim 1, each of said shoe assembliescomprising a mounting plate carrying said shoe assemblies, and saidspaced apart fasteners projecting through opposite ends of said mountingplate and into said rotor means.

t I 0 i

1. A machine for assembling containers into packages held together bygenerally flat, somewhat elastic carriers having a longitudinal seriesof transverse pairs of container encircling bands, said machineincluding means for directing a procession of containers to a carrierand container assembly station, there being rotor means proximate tosaid assembly station and a guide system for receiving, folding anddirecting a succession of carriers to said rotor means at a locationcircumferentially spaced from said assembly station, said rotor meansincluding a plurality of shoe assemblies on the periphery thereof forreceiving successive carriers from said guide system and stretching andapplying the carriers into embracing relations to containers in saidassembly station, the improvement of said guide system comprising aunitary assembly of guide rails formed to fold the longitudinallycentral and outer sides of said succession of carriers before receptionof said carriers on said shoe assemblies, and each of said shoeassemblies comprising a unitary assembly solely secured on the peripheryof said rotor means by a pair of spaced apart fasteners and cooperatingwith said guide system to receive said carriers in said foldedcondition.
 2. In a machine as defined in claim 1, said unitary assemblyof guide rails being mounted on a pair of rods, and means securing theends of said rods in fixed position in said machine at said locationcircumferentially spaced from said assembly station.
 3. In a machine asdefined in claim 1, each of said shoe assemblies comprising a mountingplate carrying said shoe assemblies, and said spaced apart fastenersprojecting through opposite ends of said mounting plate and into saidrotor means.